Footwork Soccer - Using Sticks

When it comes to improving footwork soccer skills, one very simple yet effective tool is sticks. You can create a great training course with them ? no matter whether you purchase some, use kindling, or use fallen twigs. However, if you are going to use the fallen twigs, make sure they are straight.

Size

Sticks that are 4-5 feet long and 1x1 inch are good enough for the purpose. Lay them down as if they are the rungs of a ladder. Now, being an expert coach, you can have the players do various exercises, such as running, hopping, and ball work.

Various Exercises

You can start with running drills. In this method, have the players step once or twice between each stick. While doing so, the players must change direction at each turn, shuffling sideways between the sticks. You can also have the players run between the sticks lengthwise.

Another thing that you can have the players do is hopping. Have the players hop on one foot or two feet. The players must hop with variations, such as forward, backward, sideways, etc. what is more, they should also alternate feet while doing so.

Ball Practice can also improve footwork effectively. In this method, have the players dribble around the sticks. Ball practice may also include passing the ball through and sprinting after it or passing exercise through the channels between the sticks.

You can also have the players shuffle between the sticks and pushing the ball from the end of one stick to the next stick. However, for this specific exercise, make sure that they position balls at both ends of each stick.

Sticks can also be used to improve the footwork of the goalkeepers. You can have the goalkeeper?s practice catching and saving balls while shuffling through channels or sprinting through them.

Of course, you can explore the various other possibilities, using your imagination. An expert coach will certainly come up with an infinite supply of drills and activities.

In fact, when it comes to using the sticks to practice different exercises to improve the footwork soccer, there are virtually endless possibilities.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of footwork soccer. His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles, resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Oman's Chances At The Soccer Gulf Cup - Abu Dhabi

The much awaited soccer Gulf Cup in Abu Dhabi, UAE will commence on the 17th of January, 2007. The opening match will feature the biggest rivals in the region, the Sultanate of Oman and the host country, the United Arab Emirates.

The setting for this gulf cup has been pretty much identical to the 2004 one in Qatar in which 8 countries have been divided into 2 groups. Oman has been fixed in group A that also includes the UAE, Yemen and Kuwait.

At first glance, it looks like the Sultanate of Oman has finally managed to evade the group of death and has, this time around, fallen into the easier group out of the two. That being said, it is now faced with a very difficult task of battling it out with the host country in the opening match of the tournament.

In a recent survey on SoccerBlaze!, 66% of the participants voted that the Sultanate would acquire either third or fourth berth. 27% responded that Oman will exit from the group stages and 5% said that it will reach the final match, which will be a repeat of 2004. Let us have a closer look at group A and analyse our chances of success.

Sultanate of Oman's Preparations

Our preparation for the Gulf Cup started (or should have started) after the match against UAE in the Asian Cup qualifiers. We lost 0-3 to Jordan in Amman in the qualifiers and 2-0 to a youth Iraqi team and 1-0 in the Asian Games in Doha. I am sorry, I couldn't resist being sarcastic. Our beloved coach Milan Macala has set up a training camp in Qatar which, according to officials, includes a match against the Qatari national team.

United Arab Emirates soccer team

Just like Oman, UAE has never won the Gulf Cup. They however have the home advantage this time and an excellent coach, who also happens to be the one that performed wonders with Senegal leading them to the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup, Bruno Metsu. With these factors in mind, the UAE seems to have a more than decent chance of qualification to the knockout stages of the competition.

Sultanate of Oman's last two encounters with the UAE were in the Asian Cup qualification rounds. Oman lost 1-0 away from home in UAE but then redeemed the loss with a 2-1 win in Muscat. It is worth mentioning that the UAE's performance has declined considerably since 2004. The Sultanate has a decent chance of beating the UAE but my vote unfortunately goes to the Emirates as I believe the opening match, home advantage and the crowd will all work in the favour of the UAE and prove to be too overwhelming for Oman.

Kuwait soccer team

On the 20th of January, Oman will meet Kuwait, in a repeat of the opening match of the Gulf Cup in Kuwait in 2003. Kuwait are the competition's record title winners with 9 titles in their pockets, winning 7 out of the first 10 Gulf Cups. Kuwait has however slipped out of contention in the last few years and most recently by failing to qualify to the Asian Cup in 2007, losing out to Australia and Bahrain. Football in Kuwait seems to be in its worse ever state and calling it a crisis would not be an exaggeration.

I believe Oman has the capacity to beat Kuwait and I hope that they do. I also believe that Kuwait will come into this match with 3 points already in hand following its match against Yemen. Therefore, anything but a win against Kuwait means the end of our venture in Abu Dhabi.

Yemen soccer team

Yemen is the weakest team in the region and have played only 2 Gulf Cup tournaments to date. Their best two results in the competition were a draw against Bahrain and a draw against, yes you guessed it right, the Sultanate of Oman. Throwing Yemen into the mix up does however cause one or two problems to the other teams in the group if it managed to pull out shocking results like the ones against Oman and Bahrain, respectively.

Summary

I am sorry but I just can't think of Oman as the winners of the Gulf Cup and I think you can excuse me for not comprehending this fact being an Omani that is used to the first place backwards. However, I believe Oman can make it to the knockout stages and ultimately to the third versus fourth match. Once again this is all dependent upon which Oman side shows up in Abu Dhabi, is it the side that were runner ups in Qatar in 2004? Or is it the side that was and easy prey for Jordan, Iraq and China in 2006?

Saied Mohammed is the owner and co-founder of SoccerBlaze.com, a privately owned Football/Soccer Blog with emphasis on football news, articles and discussions from the Sultanate of Oman.

We are constantly looking for more members and posters so please jump in, join us and share your views at the first Omani football / soccer blog

Soccer Betting

Soccer (also called Futbol or European Football) betting is very popular in many parts of the world. In fact, the only place that it's not is the United States. The game of soccer can be claimed as the world's true sport, but the United States does not enjoy soccer anywhere near as much as other parts of the globe. As with any other game, it's important to know the game before you put down your cash. Thanks to the Internet keeping up with teams and getting information on foreign teams is a snap. You can find some wild money lines in soccer.

If you are brand spanking new to soccer betting, you are in for a treat--and possibly a headache. One thing that's both good and bad is the number of leagues around the world. It's good because there is plenty of soccer action to wager on, but it can be overwhelming at the same time. It's recommended that you start by focusing on the soccer league(s) in your region or a region that interests you. This will allow you to become an expert in that area and you will do much better. Once you get the hang of it, you can expand your horizons if you want.

To win more money and more consistently you will need to know how a soccer game works--at least to some degree. The more you know about soccer and the more you understand the flow, the better off you will be. This task can be accomplished quickly be browsing some Internet websites and reading the data they offer. While you are searching around, look for pages on some of the teams you might be betting on. Specifically, look for any information on how they play the game and anything about their scoring and defense.

The main question is about money. Can you make real money betting on soccer? The quick answer is yes. Soccer presents some great opportunities for the informed sports bettor. When you place a bet on a soccer match, you bet on the winner outright. There is no point spread--although some sports books do proposition bets with goals. You can also bet on the match ending in a draw, which happens semi-frequently. Betting on the draw usually results in a nice payoff if it comes in. Many draws will be +200 or higher.

The lines in soccer matches are usually pretty interesting. Matches that feature teams who are close in talent have plus-money lines, which is different from other sports. For example, you might have the favorite being a +125 and the underdog being a +175. No matter whom you choose, you are getting value for your money. Even if you are not experienced with soccer betting or soccer in general, it can sometimes be easy to spot the big favorite. Teams that are overwhelmingly dominant in a match might be -500 favorites. Obviously, there's no value here and smart sports bettors should stay away from such matches.

Here's an example betting line.

West Ham United +120 Bolton Wanderers +175 Draw +225

As you can see, there's value in all three wagers and the line is easy to interpret. It's important to note that typically, after 90 minutes of play, the game is final. The sports book might not take Overtime, the Golden Goal rule and penalty kicks (outside of regulation) into consideration.

Overall, soccer betting is definitely something sports bettors should look into. The game gives sports bettors great value for their money and there is plenty of action to go around. If you have not tried betting on soccer yet, give it a look. You just might find your new moneymaker.

Sebastien Veilleux is the founder of AdvantageSportsBetting.com. He's a sports betting expert. Advantage Sports Betting features horse wagering and sports betting.

Why Coach Soccer? And How To Have Fun.

Warren Buffet might not know soccer, but when he said, "Tell me your heroes and I'll tell you how your life will end up", he was onto something.

When it comes to coaching, everyone wants a say but few are willing to turn their words into action and take a team even under 8s which is where yours truly started.

How can You enjoy coaching soccer? Let me count the ways:

1. Coach your kids and you get to spend more time with them at something you can help them have fun at AND enjoy mastering new skills.

2. Coaching young people of any age gives you the opportunity to have a massive and important influence on the future of your community and country! This is not just talk. Ask any adult who has played sport for a while and there is a good chance the had great people who were their coaches.

3. You will be remembered for all the right reasons and kids will copy your example. There are no less than 3 great coaches I remember until I left town at 17. Mr Nicolas (Fatherly man who really cared and It was much appreciate) Mr Edgar (fantastic accent I still havent mastered but he was fair and encouraging), and lastly Bobby Feed the Bear Mutter (A burly Scotsman whose belief in me propelled my confidence sky high, I can still hear him call, Whos the boss Richard? Show him whos the boss!

4. You get to develop skills in something you have a passion for and coaching soccer skills is full of challenge and rewards.

5. Get a life! No longer wandering the streets looking for something or sitting in front of the TV, rock up to your local soccer club or school and Im sure there will be opportunities to add a new dimension to your life and the lives of others.

6. Build contacts in your community and neighborhood. If you coach kids they have parents and they have lives too that may provide a way to help you with something in your life.

7. Leadership, responsibility, and commitment all have their own rewards and these are abundant when you coach soccer.

8. If you are a player in a club you get praise from members in the club, you get on the in with the other coaches in case you wanted to advance a career in this way, and you get some equipment to use whenever you want to improve your own game.

9. It will add to your attractiveness to employers as coaching soccer or any sport, shows the attributes above. These are easily re-worded to suit the job type. E.g. Active Member of my Community. It shows commitment, reliability, purpose, and that you can get out of bed in the morning.

10. Personal satisfaction. Winning your competition, one game, or having kept a bunch of people happy and off the streets. Plus you are involved doing what you love, Soccer (sport).

I once coached soccer at a local high school and these young boys (11 and 12 yrs) came to class with short black pen marked on the top of their wrists and hands What is that for?, I asked, Were Mr. Kerr-Bell they said! Never under estimate your power.

There are many coaching videos, courses (often run by your local Soccer Club), books and other coaches to help you. A good way to start is to support the coach, be a manager, or gear minder person and learn that way. Showing up to practices to help is also useful.

Coaching soccer is a full on commitment that reflects everything the Real Madrids and Manchester United coaches experience (except the money and chance off being replaced if you lose!)

So enjoy the rush of excitement and adrenaline that coaching gives on matchday

(PS. Look up soccer club directory online in the search box or thumb through your phonebook to find a club near you.)

Get out there coaching soccer and make a difference and remember, if you are there for the game or kids... you have already won.

By Richard Kerr-Bell

richlife@xtra.co.nz

www.training-soccer-expert.com

Richard Kerr-Bell has played soccer for 32 years and coached for 12. He currently coaches at the Academy of Sport for the Otago Polytechnic. Copyrite2004. All items can be copied as long as the author and contact/web details are added.

Rich@training-soccer-expert.com